Small (but Great) Biz Giants
from Sales Blend.com 4/13 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz 7/
Does a Business have to be BiG to be Great & Meaningful?
If you’re interested in the answer to this question, check out “Small Giants” by Author Bo Burlingham. The book is full of inspiring case studies of 14 businesses that aren’t just growing for growth’s sake; instead, they are building a great and meaningful small business, sometimes in the face of adversity.
“It’s an saying of business that great companies grow their revenues & profits year after year. Yet quietly, under the radar, a small number of companies have rejected the pressure of endless growth to focus on more satisfying business goals. Goals like being great at what they do, creating a great place to work, providing great customer service, making great contributions to their communities and finding great ways to lead their lives.” – a Quote from the book.
The Lessons. Through Bo’s study of the 14 small businesses he identifies as ‘small giants’, he finds 7 common threads that make the businesses great. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to one of these common threads or lessons. These are the empowering lessons from the book:
Lesson 1: We are Free to Choose. Small business owners can and should choose, how their business will evolve over time. Although the overwhelming pressure for successful businesses is to grow incessantly for a big “cash-out”, businesses today can purposefully choose a different path with different goals.
Lesson 2: Courageous Leadership. To choose a different path, small business owners have to be strong leaders. Leaders who want to build a business that is an extension & reflection of themselves, may need to do some soul-searching so they can define their distinct values to lead their small business confidently.
Lesson 3: Relationship with the Community. Small businesses should build a strong, nurturing relationship with its community. Some companies gave back in traditional ways like sponsorships & donations, and others gave their employees time & expertise. The partnered with the community to meet their needs.
Lesson 4: Relationship with Customers & Suppliers. Great small businesses deliver on promises and maintain a personal contact with customers & suppliers. These relationships are important to each business – and their customers and suppliers should know it!
Lesson 5: Relationships with Employees. “How would you want to be treated?” Great small businesses create friendly & nurturing workplaces for their employees. In fact, the reason many small businesses feel pressured to grow is to provide growth opportunities for valued employees. Sometimes, these other Values are more important.
Lesson 6: Ownership Structure. How do you retain ownership of your business & empower employees? The small giants profiled in this book have designed organizational structures “unique” – to meet their needs.
Lesson 7: Passion. Great leaders are not the same thing as professional managers. Leaders of small businesses bring a huge amount of passion to their business, community, employees and customers, which can create a giant impact.
For all these benefits, “You could be BiG on small” [Wiz4biz]
Comments: Do you know any other advantages of staying small?